DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After over fifty years, Bobby Allison, a legend in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, has finally been celebrated for a victory at Bowman Gray Stadium. On Wednesday, NASCAR officially recognized Allison as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial, a race that took place on August 6, 1971, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This acknowledgment has updated the historical records, increasing Allison’s wins to 85 and positioning him in fourth place on the all-time wins leaderboard.
The noteworthy race was part of a unique schedule that year, incorporating both Grand National (now known as the Cup Series) and Grand American vehicles. At the time, Allison was an active competitor in both series, and for this particular event, he drove a Grand American Ford, dominating the competition by leading 138 out of the 200 laps to secure the victory. However, this win had never been officially counted in his Cup Series statistics—until now.
Jim France, the chairman and CEO of NASCAR, emphasized the significance of this recognition, noting that for 53 years, the Meyers Brothers Memorial had been the only race in NASCAR history that lacked an official winner. As discussions around the upcoming Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium took place, the 1971 race came to the forefront, prompting NASCAR to take steps to honor Allison appropriately. “It was essential to acknowledge Bobby’s accomplishment and elevate him as an 85-time NASCAR Cup Series winner,” France stated. He expressed gratitude for Allison’s extensive contributions to the sport over his lifetime.
On the same day, France, alongside long-time NASCAR executive Mike Helton, visited Allison to share the news personally and present him with a commemorative plaque to mark this significant milestone.
With this recent adjustment to his win total, Bobby Allison now ranks just behind fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200 wins), David Pearson (105 wins), and Jeff Gordon (93 wins). Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, Allison boasts an impressive legacy as a five-time NASCAR champion and a three-time Daytona 500 victor.
